Can Apple and Samsung Ever Talk It Out?

Despite being one of Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) biggest component suppliers, Samsung (SSNLF.PK)is also one of the iPhone maker’s biggest rivals in the global smartphone market. After Apple filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Samsung in the spring of 2011, the Korea-based manufacturer countered with its own lawsuit and the rivalry quickly moved out of the market and into the courts.

However, while Apple and Samsung have been publicly accusing each other of patent infringement in courtroom battles around the world, they have also been holding private, behind-the-scenes discussions on how to resolve their differences, reportsthe Wall Street Journal. According to the WSJ’s insider sources, the two tech giants appeared to be close to an agreement in February this year, before the talks broke down.

The two companies’ negotiations are also referenced in some U.S. International Trade Commission documents. According to these documents and the WSJ’s unnamed sources, Samsung appears to be seeking a “broad patent cross-licensing deal” that would end all of the multiple lawsuits between the two companies.